Shroud arrangement for a gas turbine engine

ABSTRACT

A seal segment for bounding a hot gas flow path within a gas turbine engine, including: a plate having an inboard side which bounds the hot gas flow path in use, an outboard side and fore and aft cooling circuits, wherein the fore and aft cooling circuits are fluidically separated from one another within the plate and each has at least one tortuous path between an inlet on the outboard side of the plate and an exhaust.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to shroud arrangement for a gas turbine engine.In particular, the invention relates to a shroud arrangement which iscooled using two sources of cooling air.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a ducted fan gas turbine engine 10 comprising, in axialflow series: an air intake 12, a propulsive fan 14 having a plurality offan blades 16, an intermediate pressure compressor 18, a high-pressurecompressor 20, a combustor 22, a high-pressure turbine 24, anintermediate pressure turbine 26, a low-pressure turbine 28 and a coreexhaust nozzle 30. The fan, compressors and turbine are all rotatableabout a principal axis 31 of the engine 10. A nacelle 32 generallysurrounds the engine 10 and defines the intake 12, a bypass duct 34 anda bypass exhaust nozzle 36.

Air entering the intake 12 is accelerated by the fan 14 to produce abypass flow and a core flow. The bypass flow travels down the bypassduct 34 and exits the bypass exhaust nozzle 36 to provide the majorityof the propulsive thrust produced by the engine 10. The core flow entersin axial flow series the intermediate pressure compressor 18, highpressure compressor 20 and the combustor 22, where fuel is added to thecompressed air and the mixture burnt. The hot combustion products expandthrough and drive the high, intermediate and low-pressure turbines 24,26, 28 before being exhausted through the nozzle 30 to provideadditional propulsive thrust. The high, intermediate and low-pressureturbines 24, 26, 28 respectively drive the high and intermediatepressure compressors 20, 18 and the fan 14 by interconnecting shafts 38,40, 42.

The performance of gas turbine engines, whether measured in terms ofefficiency or specific output, is generally improved by increasing theturbine gas temperature. It is therefore desirable to operate theturbines at the highest possible temperatures. As a result, the turbinesin state of the art engines, particularly high pressure turbines,operate at temperatures which are greater than the melting point of thematerial of the blades and vanes making some form cooling necessary.However, increasing cooling of components generally represents areduction in efficiency and so much effort is spent in finding asatisfactory trade-off between turbine entry temperature, the life of acooled turbine component and specific fuel consumption. This has led toa great deal of research and development of new materials and designswhich can allow an efficient increase of the gas turbine entrytemperature.

The present invention seeks to provide improved cooling arrangements fora gas turbine.

STATEMENTS OF INVENTION

The invention provide a seal segment for bounding a hot gas flow pathwithin a gas turbine engine, comprising: a plate having an inboard sidewhich bounds the hot gas flow path in use, an outboard side and fore andaft cooling circuits, wherein the fore and aft cooling circuits arefluidically separated from one another within the plate and each has atleast one tortuous path between an inlet on the outboard side of theplate and an exhaust.

The provision of a plate having two cooling circuits with tortuous pathsallows the use of two separate sources of cooling air which can providean efficiency benefit for the engine.

The two sources of air may be provided at different pressures andtemperatures to better suit the local operating conditions of the sealsegment.

The fore and aft cooling circuits include first and second sub-circuits.

The sub-circuits of the fore and aft cooling circuits are substantiallysymmetrical about a plane which extends between a leading edge andtrailing edge of the plate.

The fore cooling circuit includes passageways which principally traversea circumferential length of the plate and the aft cooling circuitincludes passageways which principally extend along the axial length ofthe plate.

The fore cooling circuit may include at least one exhaust along acircumferential edge of the plate.

The aft cooling circuit may include at least one exhaust along atrailing edge of the plate.

The exhausts may be in fluid communication with the main gas flow pathin use.

The fore and aft cooling circuits may each occupy approximately half theaxial length of the plate.

The tortuous paths of the fore and aft cooling circuits may include ameandering path which includes at least one U-bend which turns thetrajectory of the passageway back on itself.

At least one cooling circuit or sub-circuit may be substantiallyU-shaped.

At least one cooling circuit or sub-circuit may be substantiallym-shaped.

The fore cooling circuit may include a U-shaped passageway and the aftcooling circuit includes an m-shaped passageway.

The m-shaped passageway may include an inlet along a mid portion of them-shape.

Each U-bend may include at least one bifurcating feature to help preventflow separation around the U-bend.

The cooling circuits may be partitioned by a plurality of walls whichmeet at an intersection.

Each of the walls may predominantly extend along a longitudinal axis.The intersection of the walls and the intersection of the longitudinalaxes of the walls may not be co-located.

A secondary inlet may be provided local to the intersection of thewalls.

The secondary inlet may be provided at the intersection of thelongitudinal axes.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with the aid of thefollowing drawings of which:

FIG. 1 shows a conventional gas turbine engine.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a turbine shroud arrangement.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a shroud cassette which forms part ofthe shroud arrangement shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a seal segment which forms part ofthe shroud cassette shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a plan schematic of the internal cooling architecture ofthe seal segment shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 shows a plan section schematic of the bulkhead portion andchimney inlets of the seal segment shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative arrangement for the internal coolingarchitecture of the seal segment shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 shows an axial restrictor which can be implemented in the shroudcassette shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

FIG. 2 provides a cross-section of the shroud arrangement 210 andsurrounding structure which can be located within the architecture of asubstantially conventional gas turbine at a location as highlighted inFIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows a perspective schematic view of a shroud cassettewhich includes a seal segment 216 and carrier segment 218. FIG. 4 showsa perspective schematic representation of the seal segment 216 only.

The shroud arrangement 210 forms part of the turbine section of a gasturbine engine similar to that shown in FIG. 1 and defines the boundaryof the hot gas flow path 211 thereby helping to prevent gas leakage andprovide thermal shielding for the outboard structures of the turbine.

The turbine (rotor) blade 212 sits radially inwards of the shroudarrangement 210 and is one of a plurality conventional radiallyextending blades which are arranged circumferentially around asupporting disc (not shown) which is rotatable about the principal axis31 of the engine. Corresponding arrays of so-called nozzle guide vanes214 a, 214 b, NGVs, are axially offset from the rotor blades 212 withrespect to the principal axis 31 of the engine and alter the directionof the upstream gas flow such that it is incident on the rotor blades212 at an optimum angle. Thus, the turbine generally consists of anaxial series of NGV 214 a and rotor blade 212 pairs arranged along thegas flow path 211 of the turbine, with different pairs being associatedwith each of the high pressure turbine, HPT, intermediate pressureturbine, IPT, and low pressure turbine, LPT.

The shroud arrangement 210 shown in FIG. 2 principally includes threemain parts: a seal segment 216, a carrier 218 and an engine casing 220which sit in radial series outside of the main gas path 211 and rotorblade 212. The shroud arrangement 210 of the embodiment is that of anHPT, but the invention may be applied to other areas of the turbine, orindeed other areas of the turbine or non-turbine applications whereappropriate.

The seal segment 216 includes a plate 222 having an inboard gas pathfacing surface 224 and an outboard surface 226 which is provided by theradially outward surfaces of the plate 222 relative to the principalaxis 31 of the engine. The seal segment 216 is one of an array ofsimilar segments which are linked so as to provide an annular shroudwhich resides immediately radially outwards of the turbine rotor blades212 and defines the radially outer wall of the main gas flow path 211.Thus, the seal segment 216 shown is one of a plurality of similararcuate segments which circumferentially abut one another to provide asubstantially continuous protective structure around the rotor blade 212tip path.

The seal segment 216 is fixed to the engine casing 220 via acorresponding carrier segment 218. The carrier segment 218 is one of aplurality of segments which join end to end circumferentially to providean annular structure which is coaxial with the principal axis 31 of theengine. The engine casing 220 is an annular housing which sits outboardof the carrier 218 and generally provides structural support andcontainment for the turbine components, including providing directsupport for the shroud cassette which comprises the seal segment andcarrier 218.

The seal segment 216 is contacted by the hot gas flow through theturbine and thus requires cooling air. The choice of cooling air sourceis largely dictated by the required reduction in temperature at aparticular location and the working pressure the cooling air exhaustsinto.

A further consideration is the fuel cost in providing the cooling air atthe required pressure and temperature. That is, the provision ofpressurised cooling air ultimately comes at a fuel cost and providingoverly cooled or pressurised air at a particular location is potentiallywasteful and may present a reduction in specific fuel consumption. Incomponents which experience large pressure gradients, such as sealsegments, this can lead to cooling air being provided at a pressuredictated by the upstream portion of the component but a temperaturedictated by a downstream part of the component.

The cooling air can be provided from any suitable source but istypically provided in the form of bleed air from one or more compressorstages. Thus, air is bled from the compressor and passed through variousair cooling circuits both internally and externally of the components toprovide the desired level of cooling.

An additional important consideration for cooling and component life andthe intervals between maintenance and servicing is the thermalmanagement problem relating to rotor blade 212 tip clearance. That is,the separation of the seal segment 216 and the tips of the rotor blades212 needs to be carefully monitored and reduced during use. Having assmaller a separation as possible helps reduce the amount of hot gaswhich can flow over the blade tips but importantly helps avoid tip rubswhich degrade the protective coatings and generally increase oxidisationwhich reduce component life. To this end, the embodiment shown in FIG. 2includes dummy flanges 228 on the outboard side which are arranged toreceiving cooling air from annular manifolds 230 which surround theengine casing 220.

Controlling the separation is not a straight forward problem as theseparating gap between the shroud and rotor blade 212 tip is affected bythe thermal condition of each of the casing 220, the carrier 218, sealsegment 216, the rotor 212 components and the pressures experienced byeach. Thus, sophisticated cooling schemes and features are employed tohelp control the thermal condition of the various components under thedifferent operating conditions.

To reduce the fuel cost associated with providing the cooling air and toimprove tip clearance control, the invention utilises two sources ofcooling air to cool the seal segment 216. The first has a firsttemperature and pressure, and the second has a second temperature andpressure which are different to the first at the respective point ofdelivery to the seal segment 216. Both of the first and second coolingair flows are provided to the outboard side 226 of the seal segment 216into two respective independent chambers 232, 234, or areas. The air isprovided in this segregated manner such that it can be supplied to theseal segment plate 222 for selective cooling of different portions ofthe seal segment 216.

The segregation in the described embodiment is provided by a partitionin the form of a bulkhead 236 which extends between the outboard surface226 of the seal segment 216 and the engine casing 220 and divides thespace therebetween into a fore portion chamber 232 and an aft portionchamber 234, each for accepting one or other of the higher and lowerpressure air. In the described embodiment, the fore portion 232 isprovided with a feed of higher pressure air and the aft portion 234,lower pressure air. This is commensurate with the general coolingrequirements of the seal segment 216 which experiences higher pressuresat the upstream leading edge 238 relative to the downstream portions dueto significant pressure drop along the axial length of the inboardsurface 224. The dual source cooling is also advantageous for theassociated temperature profile which tends to rise from the leading edgedownstream due to radial migration of the traverse. Hence, the higherpressure cooling air is required at the front of the component forcavity purge to prevent hot gas ingestion, whereas the lower pressureair with lower feed temperature at the rear of the component improvescooling where higher temperatures exist.

The differential cooling of the plate 222 is provided by supplying thefirst and second air sources to respective first 266 and second 268cooling circuits which each cool different portions of the seal segment216. That is, the first cooling circuit 266 cools a first, generallyupstream, portion of the plate 222 and the second cooling circuit 268cools a second, generally downstream, portion of the plate 222.

The first cooling circuit 266 is in fluid communication with the foreportion chamber 232 of the outboard side 226 of the plate 222 such thatair provided to that portion can be ingested by the plate 222 foreffecting cooling and outputted via an exhaust 240. The second coolingcircuit is in fluid communication with the aft portion chamber 234 ofthe outboard side 226 of the plate 222 such that the second source ofair can be similarly ingested and exhausted. The first 266 and second268 cooling circuits are fluidly isolated from one another such thatthere is no or negligible air flow between the two, thus helping tomaintain the desired pressure and temperature differential.

The fore portion chamber 232 is fluidly connected to one of the higherpressure stages of the compressor such that bleed air can be providedfor cooling of the seal segment 216 as is commonly known in the art. Theaft portion chamber 234 is in fluid communication with an air chamber242 which is located above the nozzle guide vane 214 b of the nextturbine stage, which in the described embodiment is the IP NGV but couldfor example be a second HP NGV. Thus, the seal segment 216 is locatedupstream of another component which includes an internal cavity whichrequires cooling air in normal use. As will be appreciated, the NGV 214b requires cooler air at a lower pressure than the upstream turbinerotor stage so as to better match the state of the hot gas flow local tothe NGV 214 b. Hence, the air chamber 242 is in fluid communication witha lower pressure stage of the compressor so as to receive lower pressureair at a lower temperature. Such air can be provided at a reduced fuelcost and is thus beneficial.

The IP NGV 214 b includes a platform 246 which is placed radiallyoutwards of the gas flow path so as to have a gas washed surface. Theaerofoil portion of guide vane 214 b extends from the platform 246generally toward the principal axis 31 of the engine. The seal segment216 and NGV platform 246 are radially separated by an annular gap suchthat relative movement is possible between the two components. This isnecessary to accommodate the different temperatures and pressuresexperienced in the corresponding portions of the gas flow path. Inparticular, there is a general requirement to control the radialposition of the seal segment 216 to help reduce tip clearance to apreferred minimum and this is more easily achieved if the seal segment216 is physically separated from adjacent components along the gas flowpath.

To allow cooler air to be provided from a downstream direction, a firstpart 254 of a two part seal 250 is attached on the outboard side of theseal segment 216. The second part 252 of the two part seal 250 isattached to the second component (the NGV 214 b in this case) such that,in the assembled gas turbine engine, the two part seal 250 provides anisolation chamber 248 which is in fluid communication with andpressurised by the hot gas flow path 211 via the trailing edge 276 ofthe plate 222. The isolation chamber 248 isolates the main gas flow pathfrom a space on the outboard side 226 of the seal segment therebyallowing the formation of a fluid pathway between the physicallyseparated axially adjacent components of the seal segment 216 and NGV214 b.

That is, the creation of the isolation chamber 248 allows delivery ofcooling air to the aft portion 234 from a downstream direction and forthis to be segregated at the required respective temperature andpressure, whilst allowing for independent movement of the seal segment216.

In order to prevent leakage of gas from the main gas stream chamber 248into the aft portion 234 which contains the cooling air, the two partseal 250 is provided in the form of a flap seal. The flap sealincorporates a relatively flexible annular member 252 which is securedto the platform 246 of the NGV 214 b. The flexible seal 252 is biasedagainst and abuts a sealing flange 254 which extends from thepartitioning bulkhead 236 of the seal segment 216.

The sealing flange 254 is a continuous annular member which extends in adownstream direction from a supporting structure in the form of thebulkhead 236. The sealing flange 254 also has a radial component so asto be inclined away from the rotational axis 31 of the engine in thedownstream direction. The free end of the sealing flange 254 and thetrailing edge 276 of the plate 222 are axially coterminous in a planewhich is normal to the rotational axis of the engine. However, otherconfigurations are possible.

Hence, the area downstream of the partition 236 which is radiallyoutwards of the plate 222 comprises two chambers 234, 248. The first isthe aft portion chamber 234 which receives an air supply which is commonto the NGV 242 for the second cooling circuit 268. The second is themain gas flow isolation chamber 248 that is pressurised by the main gasflow path 211 and which is bounded by the bulkhead 236, the sealingflange 254 that extends from the bulkhead 236, the flap 252 of the flapseal 250 and the NGV platform 246. The trailing edge 276 of the plateand an upstream portion of the NGV platform 246 provide the inlet to theisolation chamber 248.

The internal arrangements of the first 266 and second cooling 268circuits are best viewed in FIG. 5 which shows a schematic plan view ofthe interior of the seal segment plate 222.

The sealing segment plate 222 is constructed from two radially separatedwalls 256, 258 which provide the radially inner 224 and outer 226surfaces of the seal segment 216. In between the two walls 256, 258 arelocated the first 266 and second 268 cooling circuits. In the describedembodiment, each cooling circuit has two sub-circuits 266 a,b 268 a,b,each with an inlet 260 a,b, 262 a,b and one or more outlets 240 a,b, 264a,b which exhaust the cooling air back into the main gas flow path 211such that the exiting air can provide a cooling jet or film, asrequired.

The inlets 260 a,b to the first cooling circuit 266 are provided byapertures placed in the radially outer wall 258 of the plate 222 whichenters a cavity therebelow. The inlets 262 a,b of the second coolingcircuit 268 are provided by a plurality of chimneys 270 a,b, two in thepresent embodiment, which extend down the aft side of the aft bulkhead236 from above the sealing flange 254. Each chimney 270 a,b includes aboundary wall which defines a passageway 272 a,b between the aft portionchamber 234 located radially outwards of the sealing flange 254 and thesecond cooling circuit 268 within the radially separated walls of theplate 222. The passageway 272 a,b provided by each chimney 270 a,ballows the lower pressure chamber to be fluidly connected to the coolingcircuit across the main gas path isolation chamber 248.

The chimneys 270 a,b can be any suitable structure but, as can be bestseen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, are integrally formed with bulkhead 236 so asto form a single piece structure such that one of the walls of eachchimney 270 a,b is provided by the bulkhead 236. Ideally, the chimneys270 a,b are located aft of the bulkhead 236 such that they do notperforate bulkhead and alter the structural integrity of the componentwhich could disrupt the reaction line between the seal segment 216 andengine casing 220. Hence, the portion of the bulkhead 236 which isprovided by the seal segment 216 is constructed from sections of axiallyoffset portions of circumferentially extending wall as best viewed inthe plan section of FIG. 6. There are fore wall 236 a and aft wall 236 bportions which are connected by axially extending wall portions 236 c soas to provide a meandering or concertinaed wall when viewed in plan. Thewall portions 236 a-c are integrally formed so as to provide acontinuous structure and allow for the effective partitioning of the gaschambers on the outboard side of the plate 222.

The aft supporting member 292 b of the carrier 218 extends radiallyoutwards from the mid-line of the meandering wall along a plane towardthe engine casing 220. The plane 236 d lies normal to the rotationalaxis 31 of the engine and is located between the axially offset portionsof wall 236 a-c. Thus, the line of reaction from the plate 222 to theengine casing 220 is evenly distributed through offset walls 236 a-c ofthe seal segment 216 bulkhead.

The aft wall portions 236 b of the concertinaed bulkhead wall areprovided in part by the chimneys 270 a,b such that at least one wall ofthe chimneys 270 a,b contribute to the load carrying and sealingfunction of the bulkhead 236 whilst providing a passageway 272 a,b fromthe aft portion chamber 234 above the sealing flange 254 to the secondcooling circuit 268 within the plate 222.

Providing the chimneys 270 a,b as an integral structure with the plate222 and associated portion of the bulkhead 236 can be particularlyadvantageous as it allows the seal segment 216 to be cast as a unitarystructure which is made as a homogenous body of a common material. Thiscan simplify the construction of the seal segment 216 and can allow forsuperior thermal control during operation due to the commonality andcontinuity of the material used to construct the component. However, itwill be appreciated that in some applications it may be beneficial toconstruct the component from multiple parts which are assembled afterbeing individually fabricated.

Returning to FIG. 5, the space within the plate 222 is approximatelydivided into four quadrants which provide the two sub-circuits 266 a,bfor the first cooling circuit 266, which are located in the fore portionof the plate 222, and the two sub-circuits 268 a,b for the secondcooling circuit 268, which are located in the aft portion of the plate222. The two sub-circuits 266 a,b, 268 a,b of the first 266 and second268 cooling circuits are generally symmetrical about a mid-plane 274 awhich passes from the leading edge 238 to the trailing edge 276 of theseal segment 216.

The fore and aft divide which defines the first 266 and second 268cooling circuits within the plate 222 is provided by a partitioning wall278 which extends across the plate 222 between the circumferential edges280 a,b at an approximate mid-point between the leading 238 and trailing276 edge thereof. In the described embodiment, the wall 278 does notextend all the way between the circumferential edges 280 a,b due to theconvergent exhaust portions 286 a,b of the first cooling circuit 266which extend along the circumferential edges 280 a,b of the plate 222from the leading edge 238 towards the trailing edge 276, therebyencroaching into the aft portion of the plate 222.

The first (and second) sub-circuit 266 a of the first cooling circuit266 is provided by a meandering passage in the form of a U shape havingtwo straight portions 282 a,b connected by a sharp bend 282 c whichreverses the trajectory of the coolant. The straight portions 282 a,bare substantially parallel to one another and generally traverse theplate 222 circumferentially (or laterally) so as to extend between thecircumferential edge 280 a towards the mid-line plane 274 a of the platewhere the bent portion 282 c is located. One of the straight portions282 a is an outlet leg and is located aft of and defined by a wall whichprovides the leading edge 238 of the plate 222. The other straightportion 282 b provides the inlet leg of the first cooling circuitsub-circuit and runs parallel to and aft of the outlet leg 282 a. Thetwo straight legs are separated by a single solid wall therebetween.

A convergent exhaust 240 is located at a downstream end of the outletleg 282 a and extends along the circumferential edge 280 a of the plate222 from the leading edge 238 towards the trailing edge 276. The exhaust238 terminates around two thirds along the length of the circumferentialedge 280 a radially inwards of the partitioning bulkhead 236 theposition of which is indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 5. The inlets260 a,b to the first cooling circuit 266 sub-circuits are provided byapertures placed in the radially outer wall of the plate 222. The inlets260 a,b are placed at the upstream end of the each of the sub-circuits266 a,b adjacent the circumferential wall which defines the convergentexhaust 286 a.

The sub-circuits 268 a,b of the second cooling circuit 268 aresymmetrically arranged about the previously described axially extendingmid-plane 274 a in the aft portion of the plate 222 and includemeandering passages. However, the meandering passages of the secondcooling sub-circuits 268 a,b are ‘m’-shaped with the u-bends of them-shapes being presented towards the fore and aft partitioning wall 278which defines the first and second cooling circuits 266, 268.

The inlets 262 a,b to the second circuit cooling sub-circuits 268 a,bare located along the mid-branch of the ‘m’ shape so as to provide aninlet flow which is split three ways between two upstream flows 284 awhich proceed into the U-bend portions 284 c of the m shape, and adownstream flow 284 d which passes directly to an exit at the trailingedge 276. The inlets 262 a,b are provided by the chimneys 270 a,b andtherefore aft of the partitioning bulkhead 236 as described above. Fromthe inlets 262 a,b, the upstream passages extend toward the leading edge238 of the plate 222 via a short straight passageway 284 a beforedoubling back towards the trailing edge 276 via respective u-bendportions 284 c at the partitioning wall 278 and straight outlet portions284 b. The final portion of the outlet passages 284 b are flaredslightly to provide a divergent exhaust portion 286 a along the trailingedge 276.

Each of the passages of the first and second circuits 266, 268 includesbifurcating wall 288 around each u-bend portion which is arranged tosplit the flow around the tight bend and help reduce separation of theflow and provide uniform cooling. It will be appreciated that otherformations may be provided in the some embodiments in order to increasethe cooling efficiency of the flows.

FIG. 7 shows a modification of the cooling architecture presented inFIG. 5. In the embodiment of shown in FIG. 5, the walls 274, 278 whichdefine the first and second cooling circuit 266, 268 sub-circuits meetat an intersection 277 which is central to the four coolingsub-circuits. However, due to the arrangement of the cooling circuits266, 268 and the respective fluid flows therein, there is a reducedlevel of cooling at the intersection 277 which can create an increase inthe local heating. This is generally undesirable as it can lead todegradation of a thermal barrier coating which is applied to the inboardsurface of the plate 222.

To help alleviate this, the intersection 277 of the walls 274, 278 whichpartition the sub-circuits of first and second cooling circuits 266, 268is offset in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7. This allows a cooling flowto be introduced proximate to the centre of the four sub-circuits via asecondary inlet 279 thereby helping to alleviate the formation ofdeleterious hot spots and generally provide more uniform cooling.

More specifically, the walls 274, 278 are predominantly straight anddefine longitudinal axes 274, 278 which intersect at a first location.However, each of the walls 274, 278 include a chicane or notch portionlocal to the central point of the cooling circuits which results in theintersection 277 of the walls being offset relative to the longitudinalaxes and at a second location. Hence, one of the cooling circuitsincludes an alcove which has surrounding walls which provide theintersection of the partitioning walls 274, 278.

The secondary inlet 279 opens on the outboard side 226 of the plate 222into the fore portion chamber so as to provide an additional localimpingement of the higher temperature, higher pressure cooling air tothe central portion of the plate 222. The approximate location of thesecondary inlet 279 will be application specific and dependent on thelevel of additional cooling required and the available cooling airsource. The inlet can be provided at or local to the intersection of thelongitudinal axes 274 a, 278 a.

The seal segment 216 and carrier 218 are attached together to providethe seal segment cassette shown in FIG. 3 which is supported by theengine casing 220. The seal segment 216, carrier 218 and engine casing220 each include formations in the form of fore and aft attachmentswhich correspond to and engage one another to provide fore 290 and aft292 supporting members. The aft, or downstream, supporting member 292forms the bulkhead 236 which partitions the space above the seal segment216 into the higher pressure area and a lower pressure area. The foresupporting member 290 includes one or more apertures so as to bepermeable to a cooling air flow from the upstream side to the downstreamthereof. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the foresupporting member 290 may provide the partition on the outboard side ofthe plate 222. Alternatively, both supporting members 290, 292 mayprovide fluid partitions such that there can be multiple air sourcechambers at different temperature and pressures.

Each carrier segment 218 is principally constructed from a plurality ofinterconnected members and struts. More specifically, there are fore andaft supporting members which extend radially towards the engine casing220 from the seal segment 216, and a strut 294 which diagonally bracesbetween the two supporting members 290, 292 so as to react some of theforces experienced by the carrier 218 towards the engine casing 220 whenin use.

The fore and aft attachments 296 a,b which attach the casing 220 to thecarrier 218, and the fore and aft attachments 298 a,b which attach thecarrier 218 to the seal segment 216, are of a similar type and take theform of two part interengaging sliding couplings. The couplings as bestseen in the cross-section of FIG. 2 can be referred to as bird mouthcouplings in the art and include clasp-like formations having mutuallydefining slots and flanges on each of the components, the slot of onecomponent mating with the flange of the other and vice-versa. It will beappreciated that attachment mechanisms other than the bird mouth typemay be applicable in some cases.

When assembled, the seal segment 216 is adaptably attached to thecarrier 218 by the fore attachment 298 a and the aft attachment 298 bwhich allow relative axial movement between the seal segment 216 andcarrier 218, but which limit relative movement in the radial direction.Similarly, the carrier 218 is attached to the engine casing 220 viacorresponding fore 296 a and aft 296 b attachments.

The fore 296 a, 298 a and aft 296 b, 298 b attachments of adjacentcomponents in the described embodiment are axially spaced by a similardimension such that the fore and aft attachments mate simultaneouslyduring assembly. Further, the attachments are such that they can beslidably engaged from a common direction, in this case an axialdownstream direction with respect to the principal axis 31 of theengine. The mating direction of the carrier 218 and engine casing 220 isalso axial but opposite to the mating direction of the carrier 218 andseal segment 216. Hence, the casing 220, which is taken to bestationary, receives the carrier 218 from an upstream direction, and thecarrier 218 receives the seal segment 216 from the downstream direction.

More specifically, one of the seal segment 216, carrier 218 and enginecasing 220 includes one part of a coupling in the form of a slot whichsnugly receives a corresponding projection in the form of a flange ofthe adjacent component. Generally, the slots have axial length andextend circumferentially around the engine to provide a ring channelwhich is rectangular in the cross-section in a plane which includes theprincipal axis 31 of the engine. Each slot has an open end and a closedend, with the open end receiving the corresponding flange of theadjacent component.

The open end of the attachment slots on the carrier 218 are provided atthe downstream end such that the corresponding hook formations on theseal segment 216 plate can only enter from the axially downstream end.Vice-versa, the open end of the seal segment 216 slots are provided atthe upstream end of the slot. Likewise, the arrangements of the casing220 attachment slots are located on the upstream end of the slots suchthat the corresponding flanges of the carrier 218 can only enter fromthe upstream direction.

When in use, the seal segment 216 experiences a large axial pressuredrop across the bulkhead which tends to force the structure in adownstream direction and it is necessary to restrain this movement. Thisis problematic because conventional axial restriction means aredifficult to incorporate with a dual air source architecture.

In the described embodiment, the dual air feed requires two distinctchambers 232, 234 radially outwards seal segment 216. This requires afluid pathway to be provided whilst isolating the main gas flow path.Conventional means for attaching a seal segment 216 to a carrier 218 mayinclude so-called ‘C’ clamps in which a resilient biasing clasp isresistance fitted around the corresponding and coterminous free ends oftwo mated flanges, thereby preventing separation in a direction normalto the mating surfaces and also restricting axial movement. Theprovision of the mating flanges ideally needs to be on the downstreamside of the aft supporting member to allow the attachment of the Cclamp. However, this is not straight forward when it is necessary toisolate the main gas path flow. In particular, it is not consideredfeasible to provide a two part seal 250 to define the isolation chamber248 and use a conventional axial restraint without unnecessarilyincreasing the overall size of the component. That is, providing the Cclamp on the upstream side of the aft supporting member is not possiblewithout relocating the carrier strut 294 or significantly increasing theaxial or radial dimensions of the shroud arrangement, or providing analternative architecture for the dual source air supply.

To overcome the problem of axial retention, there is provided a sealsegment 216 and carrier segment 218 for a gas turbine engine, comprisingfirst and second axially engaging retention features in the form of thefore and aft bird mouth couplings described above. The axially engagingretention features slidably engage from a common, downstream, directionand prevent radial movement when engaged.

To prevent axial movement of the seal segment, the shroud arrangement210 includes an axial restrictor in the form of a shear key 2100. In thepresent embodiment, the seal segment 216 is mounted to the engine casing220 via the carrier 218 and so the axial restrictor prevents relativeaxial movement between the seal segment 216 and engine casing via thecarrier 218. The axial retention of the carrier and engine casing 220 isachieved with bolts.

The shear key 2100 is snugly received in a slot 2102 which is providedin the circumferential edge 280 a of the shroud cassette. The slot 2102is partially defined within the seal segment 216 and carrier 218 so asto be presented across the parting line between the two components.Thus, there is a partial slot 2102 a machined into the circumferentialedge of the seal segment with a corresponding opposing partial slot inthe carrier. The two partial slots combine upon assembly of the shroudcassette to provide a single slot 2102.

Slots 2100 are provided in both circumferential edges 280 a, 280 b ofthe seal segment 216 such that they are at a common radial distance andaxial position relative to the principal axis 31 of the engine andoppose one another when similar shroud cassettes are assembled into theannular shroud arrangement within the engine casing 220. In this way,the seal segments and carriers can be assembled to provide the shroudcassettes before the shear keys 2100 are inserted within the slots 2102.Once the cassettes are positioned next to each other within the enginecasing 220, the shear keys 2100 of adjacent cassettes are juxtaposed toprevent withdrawal.

It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the radial and axialposition of the axial restrictors provided on the circumferential edges280 a, 280 b of a shroud cassette may be offset relative to one anothersuch that the axial restrictors may be retained but partially exposed inthe assembled shroud arrangement 210. This may be useful for inspectionpurposes.

As shown in FIG. 8, the shear key 2100 can be provided on the downstreamend of the seal segment and aft of the bulkhead which partitions thehigher and lower pressure zones. Thus, there is provided a slot to therear of and partially defined within the bulkhead 236 above the sealingflange 254. However, it could be placed below the sealing flange 254which appends from the bulkhead 236 as described above, or on theupstream side of the bulkhead as shown in FIG. 3.

To assemble the shroud arrangement 210, the seal segments 216 areattached to the corresponding carrier segment 218 to provide a cassettewhich is then fitted to the engine casing 220. To attach the sealsegment 216 to the carrier 218, the two components are aligned with oneanother in an axially offset manner such that the corresponding birdmouth attachments can engage upon relative axial movement. Once the birdmouths are sufficiently engaged, the shear key slots are aligned toprovide the slot 2102 for receiving the shear keys 2100 which areinserted from the respective circumferential edge of the cassette 280a,b.

Once the cassette has been formed, it is presented to the engine casing220, upstream of the casing bird mouth attachments before being axiallyslid downstream into place. A plurality of cassettes are constructed andmounted within the casing to provide the annular shroud arrangement.When all in place, the cassettes are bolted to the engine casing toprevent axial movement during use.

During operation of the engine, a first flow of higher pressure air isbled from one of the latter compressor stages and fed into the foreportion chamber 232 via a suitable conduit. From there the air passesinto the first cooling circuit 266 within the plate 222 via the firstinlet 260 a,b before being expelled into the main gas flow path of theturbine via the circumferential exhausts 240.

A second flow of lower pressure air is directed from an upstream portionof the compressor (relative to the higher pressure air) and fed into thespace 242 above the IP NGV and thus over the two part seal 250 and intothe second cooling circuit 268 of the plate 222 via the chimneys 270 a,bbefore being expelled into the gas flow path downstream of the plate222.

It will be appreciated that the respective cooling flows can becontrolled and possibly modulated so as to manage the cooling of theseal segment 216 for a desired purpose. This purpose may be forpreserving the life of the component, but may form part of a turbine tipclearance scheme in which cooling of the carrier 218, seal segment 216and engine casing 220 are controlled to govern the separation of therotor blade tip and the gas washed surface of the seal segment.

The above described embodiments are examples of the invention defined bythe claims. Alternatives within the scope of the claims arecontemplated. For example, in some embodiments, the seal segment may beattached directly to the engine casing with no carrier. In otherembodiments, the cooling air may not be exhausted into the main gaspath. In addition, as will be appreciated, the gas turbine engines whichutilise the invention may be any gas turbine engine of any application.For example, the gas turbine may be for an aero engine or an industrialengine. In some embodiments, the described arrangements may be used witha single source of cooling air. For example, the cooling air may beprovided to the plate from a downstream end only.

It will be appreciated that the various features of the shroudarrangement and gas turbine engine described above may be used inconjunction with one another or in independently where possible. Forexample, the shear key may be used with or without a dual source coolingscheme. Further, the dual source cooling scheme may or may not employchimney inlets. And the meandering internal architecture of the coolingschemes within the plate may be utilised with or without thepartitioning bulkhead for example.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A seal segment for bounding a hot gas flowpath within a gas turbine engine, comprising: a plate having an inboardside which bounds the hot gas flow path in use, an outboard side andfore and aft cooling circuits, wherein the fore and aft cooling circuitsare fluidically separated from one another within the plate and each hasat least one tortuous elongate path between an inlet on the outboardside of the plate and an exhaust, wherein: the at least one tortuouselongate path of the fore cooling circuit includes a plurality ofpassageways in flow series each of which traverses the plate along acircumferential length of the plate including (i) a first passagewaythat directs cooling fluid to flow along a first circumferentialdirection of the plate and (ii) a second passageway that directs coolingfluid to flow along a second circumferential direction of the plate thatis opposite the first circumferential direction, and the at least onetortuous elongate path of the aft cooling circuit includes a pluralityof passageways in flow series each of which extends along an axiallength of the plate, the axial length of the plate extending in adirection from upstream to downstream of the hot gas flow path.
 2. Aseal segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fore and aft coolingcircuits include respective first and second sub-circuits.
 3. A sealsegment as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sub-circuits of the forecooling circuit are located on opposite sides of a plane which extendsbetween a leading edge and trailing edge of the plate, and thesub-circuits of the aft cooling circuit are located on opposite sides ofa plane which extends between a leading edge and trailing edge of theplate.
 4. A seal segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fore coolingcircuit includes at least one exhaust along a circumferential edge ofthe plate.
 5. A seal segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aftcooling circuit includes at least one exhaust along a trailing edge ofthe plate.
 6. A seal segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein exhausts arein fluid communication with the hot gas flow path in use.
 7. A sealsegment as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the fore and aftcooling circuits occupy at least half the axial length of the plate butnot more than three-quarters the axial length of the plate.
 8. A sealsegment as claimed in claim 1, wherein either or both of the at leastone tortuous path of the fore and the at least one tortuous path of theaft cooling circuits include a meandering path which includes at leastone U-bend which turns the trajectory of the passageway back on itself.9. A seal segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one coolingcircuit or sub-circuit is U-shaped.
 10. A seal segment as claimed inclaim 1, wherein at least one cooling circuit or sub-circuit ism-shaped.
 11. A seal segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the forecooling circuit includes a U-shaped passageway and the aft coolingcircuit includes an m-shaped passageway.
 12. A seal segment as claimedin claim 10, wherein the m-shaped passageways include an inlet along amid portion of the m-shape.
 13. A seal segment as claimed in claim 1,wherein the cooling circuits are partitioned by a plurality of elongatewalls which meet at an intersection, each of the walls extending along alongitudinal axis and having a bent portion which offsets theintersection of the walls from the intersection of the longitudinal axesof the walls such that the two are not co-located.
 14. A seal segment asclaimed in claim 13, wherein a secondary inlet is provided adjacent tothe intersection of the walls, and the secondary inlet provides coolingfluid to either the fore or aft cooling circuit.
 15. A seal segment asclaimed in claim 14, wherein the secondary inlet is provided at theintersection of the longitudinal axes.
 16. A seal segment as claimed inclaim 1, wherein each of the plurality of passageways of the aft coolingcircuit directs cooling fluid to flow along an axial direction of theplate.
 17. A seal segment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pluralityof passageways of the aft cooling circuit includes a first passagewaythat directs cooling fluid to flow along a first axial direction of theplate, and a second passageway that directs cooling fluid to flow alonga second axial direction of the plate that is opposite the first axialdirection.